Although there were signs even during childhood that God would use him, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God [RCCG] was not born a saint. In an article written to celebrate his birthday, Bisi Daniel, a journalists and author of a book, titled, ‘Stories of Pastor E.A Adeboye,’ says growing up, there was no sign that the renowned Cleric will attain the status he has today in Christendom. In an article he wrote to celebrate the 78th birthday of the respected cleric widely circulated on Monday, Daniel recalls Adeboye’s own account of his life as a ‘playboy’ before he became a born again Christian.
Adeboye had, as reported by Daniel said, ”Before I was born again, I was a very rotten boy. I had two things going for me that made it extremely easy to have girlfriends. I was a sportsman and I was also a photographer. I’m yet to meet a lady who can say no when you say you want to snap her; I haven’t met one, particularly if you have the right kind of language.“Things like “Ahh, whoa! What am I looking at? Where has this sun been hidden? I have never seen this sunshine before. Do you mind if I record you?” “You know the elders have a saying; they say the mouth of the old woman looks like she never sucked breast. Hmm, when you see Pastor Adeboye you think he was born a saint.
“No, no, no, Thank God for His power to change.
“I had so many girlfriends that at a stage I didn’t even know the number. And for each girlfriend, there was a birthday. I had so many birthdays, one birthday for each girlfriend. I am just telling you this to let you know that God can pick one up from the pit of hell and make him or her His servant. Among all these girlfriends, there was one that was closest to me.
“But after some time we separated: she went her way, I went my way. She got married, I got married. But in the meantime, I had become born again. “The lady had a child that was born lame, so somebody told her if she took the child to a certain pastor he would pray for the child to walk. So she came to the mission house.
“I was in the living room but she saw some people on the veranda who asked for the pastor and was told I was inside. So she opened the door and saw me. Laughter, laughter, laughter.
“And you know what old flames do, “Aaaah long time no see? Where have you been, how has life been treating you, etcetera, etcetera?”
When we finished, she said,
“I want to see the pastor.”
“I said, “Yes, I am the pastor.”
“You?” She asked, surprised
“Yes,” I said
“She shouted, “You will pray and God will answer?”
“Let somebody shout Hallelujah! I prayed and she got her miracle.”
“No, no, no, Thank God for His power to change.
“I had so many girlfriends that at a stage I didn’t even know the number. And for each girlfriend, there was a birthday. I had so many birthdays, one birthday for each girlfriend. I am just telling you this to let you know that God can pick one up from the pit of hell and make him or her His servant. Among all these girlfriends, there was one that was closest to me.
“But after some time we separated: she went her way, I went my way. She got married, I got married. But in the meantime, I had become born again. “The lady had a child that was born lame, so somebody told her if she took the child to a certain pastor he would pray for the child to walk. So she came to the mission house.
“I was in the living room but she saw some people on the veranda who asked for the pastor and was told I was inside. So she opened the door and saw me. Laughter, laughter, laughter.
“And you know what old flames do, “Aaaah long time no see? Where have you been, how has life been treating you, etcetera, etcetera?”
When we finished, she said,
“I want to see the pastor.”
“I said, “Yes, I am the pastor.”
“You?” She asked, surprised
“Yes,” I said
“She shouted, “You will pray and God will answer?”
“Let somebody shout Hallelujah! I prayed and she got her miracle.”